What happens when the comedies that once made us laugh now make us ache? In this essay, I revisit National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation and Planes, Trains and Automobiles — two holiday classics that once celebrated middle-class comfort — and see something different. The decline of stability, the disappearance of family gatherings, and the quiet heartbreak of realizing that Cousin Eddie was never really the joke.

"My life was built on someone else’s loss, and nobody would let me talk about it." - from "The Girls That Went Away"

In this episode, host Katie Madonna Lee explores the haunting history of baby scoop era homes for unwed mothers—and how their echoes linger today.

Through Witchcraft for Wayward Girls by Grady Hendrix and The Girls That Went Away by Anne Flesser, Katie examines how shame, secrecy, and control shaped generations of women—and how those same forces still shape our culture’s view of motherhood, morality, and choice.

Cillian Murphy gives a breathtaking and heartbreaking performance in Small Things Like These, watch next https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SScFWkkxAig V I D E O S T O W A T C H N E X T : Limerence & The Parasocial Relationship: A personal video essay: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jwdnPrFxYPM Sinead O'Connor: Joan of Arc as a Pop Star: A Video Essay, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SScFWkkxAig Irish Catholic - Feature Film Movie Trailer •. https://youtu.be/R-_rRfmP2Wk?si=2W_zhXp-nUJohx2S 👉 Watch the crusty punk feature film, "Irish Catholic" full movie https://youtu.be/YrEobhdZXyQ?si=icrKDr4mzaGDpegn 👉 Listen to "Confess Yourself Podcast" on Spotify https://open.spotify.com/show/2leLL8ssPFB5UIGbEdd5zd?si=8e53a0805b2b42e6

When life is hard, staying present may not be sage advice. In fact in my experience, being present during life's worst moments has not helped me.

Has being presented helped you? Let me know in the comments!

Contains spoliers for the film "Lee"

It's not just what you leave behind; it's who you leave it with

Why do we know who Vincent Van Gogh is since he never sold a painting? Lee Miller hid her legacy in boxes and was not famous until her son archived her work for the public.

On this episode, I discuss how lucky both Van Gogh and Miller were. Leaving their artwork in the hands of people who would care and cultivate a public image. There are spoilers for the movie "Lee" starring Kate Winslet.

CONTAINS SPOILERS:

The Substance is a must-see body horror film starring Demi Moore. The film will make you laugh and scream! Think the darkest depths of "Death Becomes Her" to exist!

While sorting through Goodwill records I discovered the late 1960s record "Claudine." When I brought it up to the cashier, she filled in with all the details of the crazy back story!